French FM gets Doha support, continued French efforts to released kidnapped journalists

The French foreign minister Michael Barnieh called in an interview with al-Jazeera TV yesterday " all who share part of the responsibility " for kidnapping the French journalists and their car driver in Iraq to respond to the appeals made by several sides in the Islamic world.

In conclusion of his visit to Qatar during which he met with Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani and the foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem al-Thani, Doha expressed support for the continued French efforts in order to free the kidnapped journalists at the hands of the "Islamic army in Iraq" group.

In a joint press conference with his French peer, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem al-Thani called for the release of the two French journalists and honoring the French political system and laws, noting " we should honor the French system and not to involve the hostages in an internal case of special concern to France should we agree or be different with it." The French FM headed for Jordan once again in order to support his country's move in this regard. French efforts are continuous at a time when fears are increasing over the fate of the journalists and after the grace period offered by the kidnappers to the government of Paris expired on abrogating a law banning wearing the veil in the French state run schools.

In parallel to the movement of the French Diplomatic mechanism inside Iraq, French diplomats yesterday met with the "commission of the Muslim scholars" which appealed the kidnappers to release the two French journalists.